Hasta La Gadget!

Despite the sweltering heat waves, our spirits are high at Engadget, and for good reason: it’s time for our summer edition of the smartphone buyer’s guide. Here, you’ll find our top recommendations for the best smartphones across several US carriers, along with the best QWERTY and budget alternatives. In many ways, it’s now easier than ever to find a world-class smartphone, but unless you’ve developed a strong brand preference, choosing one is likely more difficult than ever before. It’s no secret that the HTC One X and Samsung Galaxy S III have firmly cemented themselves as the premier smartphones of the day, but if you’re torn between the two, we’ll reveal our preference in this latest installment.

Summertime also brought a bit of a shock, as Microsoft revealed that Windows Phone 8 apps won’t be compatible with the current generation of Windows Phone hardware. For this reason, we’ve excluded all Windows Phone handsets from consideration in the latest buyer’s guide. While the future of Microsoft’s mobile platform looks incredibly bright, a purchase now would guarantee obsolescence in the short-term. Instead, all prospective Windows Phone purchasers must wait for the next generation of handsets to become available — you’ll regret it otherwise.

Naturally, there is no shortage of rumors surrounding the next Apple iPhone, and given the handset’s current lack of LTE connectivity, the iPhone 4S is certainly showing its age. While cautious purchasers may choose to bide their time, the iPhone remains top-notch in many other respects, and its arrival at a number of prepaid carriers brought a breath of fresh air to an otherwise stagnant environment.

If you’re curious to see how it all unfolded — and we know you are — join us after the break, where we round up the very best smartphones of the season.

Continue reading Engadget’s smartphone buyer’s guide: summer 2012 edition

Filed under: Cellphones

Engadget’s smartphone buyer’s guide: summer 2012 edition originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Jul 2012 12:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Remember the Kyocera Hydro that was first unveiled in May this year at the CTIA Wireless 2012? Well, following its appearance at the FCC, it seems that the waterproof handset is now all set to launch via Boost Mobile next month. Today, Boost Mobile is announcing the coming of the Android-powered Kyocera Hydro smartphone this coming August 3. The Kyocera Hydro is being praised for its waterproof technology that allows the phone to stay submerged under 3 feet of water for up to 30 minutes.

The 3.5-inch Hydro features a 1 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, a 3.2 megapixel camera, Eco Mode for better battery management, Wi-Fi and GPS support, and Android 4.0 a.k.a. Ice Cream Sandwich. “Kyocera Hydro offers a great value for a sleek, fully featured smartphone, and being waterproof is really the icing on the cake,” said Eric Anderson, Senior Vice President at Kyocera. “Wireless devices and water generally are not a good combination, but with Hydro you finally get the peace of mind to know that they can peacefully coexist.” Kyocera Hydro will be available beginning August 3 for $129.99 via Boost Mobile retail stores, selected wireless dealer, and online.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Kyocera Hydro Struts its Stuff for the FCC, Samsung SPH-M930 picks up FCC nod, headed for Boost Mobile,

RIM gave the impression when it unveiled the BlackBerry Curve 9320 and 9220 that its lowest-cost Curves were doubtful prospects for the US. Thankfully, that’s been proven wrong by Boost Mobile, which just launched the 9320’s CDMA cousin, the Curve 9310. The message-manic BlackBerry comes to Sprint’s prepaid network with its BBM key intact as well as BlackBerry 7.1, a 3.2-megapixel camera and that all-important low price: at $100 contract-free, it’s one of the cheapest ways to leap into smartphones in the US. To top it off, Boost is throwing in a very tantalizing BBM Unlimited plan. The deal offers unlimited calling, text messaging and (naturally) BBM; although it starts at $45 per month, it gradually dips down to a very reasonable $30 per month if owners pay their bills properly for six months. Both the Curve 9310 and its companion plan will be available July 10th, giving us time to find the needed spare change under our couch cushions.

Boost Mobile takes BlackBerry Curve 9310 to the US, spices it up with $30 unlimited BBM, voice and text plan originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Jun 2012 11:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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